AUGMENTATION OF THE VIRULENCE OF MURINE COXSACKIE-VIRUS B-3 MYOCARDIOPATHY BY EXERCISE

Abstract

Coxsackievirus B-3 myocardiopathy was induced in weanling mice by intraperitoneal and intracerebral inoculations of the Nancy strain. Acute mortality was 5.5%. The cardiomyopathy is characterized by an early phase lasting about 9 days with myocardial necrosis, associated inflammation, and healing by fibrosis and calcification involving 25 to 50% of the contractile fibers in each affected mouse. Infectious coxsackievirus may be recovered from the heart during this phase. Continuing myocardial inflammatory lesions follow during the later phase, but infectious virus is no longer present.